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Software · head to head

Anchor vs Transistor

Anchor logo

Anchor

Software

Free podcast hosting and creation platform by Spotify

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Transistor logo

Transistor

Software

Professional podcast hosting for businesses and creators

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Anchor has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Anchor no longer a standalone product. Spotify folded Anchor into its own podcaster tooling, and anchor.fm now redirects to creators.spotify.com; Transistor starter plan at $19 per month caps monthly downloads at 20,000
  • They diverge on capability: Anchor covers Unlimited podcast hosting, Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Anchor and Transistor actually diverge.

Attributes where Anchor and Transistor differ
AttributeAnchorTransistor
Starting priceFree$19/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
Founded20152018

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Anchor

  • Unlimited podcast hosting
  • One-click distribution
  • Built-in recording
  • Episode scheduling
  • Monetization tools
  • Analytics
  • Amazon Music
  • Social media

Only in Transistor

  • Unlimited podcasts
  • Private podcasting
  • Advanced analytics
  • Team collaboration
  • Custom branding
  • API access
  • Slack
  • Zapier

Both cover

  • Spotify
  • Apple Podcasts
  • Google Podcasts
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Anchor

  • Free podcast hosting and distributionnot Transistor
  • Recording and basic editing from a phonenot Transistor
  • Distributing an episode to Spotify and other directoriesnot Transistor
  • Audience analytics for a shownot Transistor

Transistor

  • Hosting and distributing multiple podcasts from one accountnot Anchor
  • Running private, subscriber-only podcast feedsnot Anchor
  • Publishing podcast websites and inserting dynamic audio adsnot Anchor

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Anchor

  • No longer a standalone product. Spotify folded Anchor into its own podcaster tooling, and anchor.fm now redirects to creators.spotify.com
  • Tying hosting to Spotify's platform means the analytics and monetisation follow Spotify's terms rather than a neutral host's

Transistor

  • Starter plan at $19 per month caps monthly downloads at 20,000
  • Private podcast subscribers are capped at 50 on Starter and 500 on Professional
  • Dynamic ad insertion and auto-posting to YouTube require the $49 per month Professional plan or higher
  • Removing Transistor branding requires the $99 per month Business plan
  • Enterprise plans above 250,000 monthly downloads start at $199 per month and require contacting the vendor

Pricing, plan by plan

Anchor

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited hosting
    • Automatic distribution
    • Built-in recording tools

Transistor

$19/month
  • Starter$19/month
    • Unlimited podcasts
    • 10,000 downloads/month
    • Basic analytics
  • Professional$49/month
    • Unlimited podcasts
    • 50,000 downloads/month
    • Advanced analytics
  • Business$99/month
    • Unlimited podcasts
    • 150,000 downloads/month
    • Full analytics
  • Enterprise$199/month
    • Unlimited everything
    • 300,000+ downloads
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Anchor if

  • You need unlimited podcast hosting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want one-click distribution.
Anchor review

Choose Transistor if

  • You need unlimited podcasts.
  • You also want private podcasting.
Transistor review

Questions people ask

Is Anchor or Transistor better?
Neither clearly leads. Anchor starts at Free and Transistor at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Anchor or Transistor?
Anchor has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Anchor and $19/month for Transistor.
Does Anchor or Transistor run on more platforms?
Anchor runs on Web, Ios, Android. Transistor runs on Web.
Can I use Anchor for free?
Yes. Anchor has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Transistor starts at $19/month.
What is Anchor best used for?
Anchor is most often used for free podcast hosting and distribution, recording and basic editing from a phone, distributing an episode to spotify and other directories, audience analytics for a show. Of those, free podcast hosting and distribution and recording and basic editing from a phone are not what Transistor is typically brought in for.
What can Anchor do that Transistor cannot?
Anchor covers Unlimited podcast hosting, One-click distribution, Built-in recording, Episode scheduling. Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts, Private podcasting, Advanced analytics, Team collaboration. Both handle Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Web support.
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